Rainbow Haven sponsors, settles and advocates for LGBTQ+ refugees in Ottawa through the private sponsorship program of the federal government.
Patti Tamara Lenard was the guest speaker at the Dec. 13th meeting of Stittsville Rotary. A professor of Ethics in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, she is active in the fields of political theory of migration, counter-terrorism, and democratic theory more generally.
In Ottawa, Patti runs a small organization called Rainbow Haven, https://www.facebook.com/rainbowhavenottawa/.
The small group of dedicated volunteers utilizes the private sponsorship program which is a legal agreement with the federal government to provide a support community for refugees including finding housing and employment, enrolling children in school, and teaching basic life skills, e. g. banking, telephone, etc.
Rainbow Haven and its partners identify LGBTQ refugees needing sponsors and then raise funds and prepare for their arrival, offering a warm, diverse and accepting community to the newcomers. To date, the group has welcomed 10 newcomers from around the world. It also helps LGBTQ+ asylum- seekers in Ottawa to prepare their claims. The group hopes to welcome an Afghan couple in the fall of 2023.
Patti volunteered to mentor anyone interested in creating a group to sponsor refugees. Members can help in their own ways, according to their own needs and availability, whether to help a sponsored family get public library cards or to spend time with them on a regular basis. patti.lenard@gmail.com.